Cover Songs That SHOULD NOT BE!

[Cayman]

I learned this morning that Fergie, she of the loose bladder and frightening melty-looking face, has covered Heart's rocktastic "Barracuda" for the Shrek 3 soundtrack. Surprisingly it's not awful, but it got me thinking about cover songs that should never have happened.

Some examples include Avril Lavigne's attempt at Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door", Sheryl Crow's anemic cover of "Sweet Child O'Mine" and the entirety of Duran Duran's "Thank You" album. Britney's desecration of "I Love Rock & Roll" reeked, plus there was Madonna's ill-fated "American Pie". Jessica Simpson's dad thought his daughter's cauterwauling cover of "Angels" by Robbie Williams would win her a Grammy, but instead just gave its listeners a headache.

What are some tragic cover versions you've heard? And feel free to counter them with some great cover versions if you'd like.

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

Limp Bizkit's "Behind Blue Eyes." It just drained every molecule of life from the original.

[Karl H]

Mike Flowers' Pop's cover of Oasis' Wonderwall

[Karl H]

Oasis' cover of I am the Walrus

[Cayman]

Mike Flowers' Pop's cover of Oasis' Wonderwall

Good one! And I think that Ryan Adams's version of the same song is an example of a cover version that does succeed.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Rascall Flatts doing a cover of "Life is a Highway" that is absolutely meaningless. YOu want to cover a song? Make it your own, ala Club Nouveaux and "Lean on Me".

[Inkpot1965]

Let's see. I think it was Faith Hill who took the old Janis Joplin song "Piece of my heart" [A gutwrenching song about heartbreak] and turned it into a happy, bouncy country tune. Sometimes I despair for humanity.

[the4thpip]

Mike Flowers' Pop's cover of Oasis' Wonderwall

Oh come on, what is wrong with having a little fun once in a while. Stuff like that is perfectly ok in my book. Britney doing "I love Rock'n'Roll" however was all kinds of wrong.

Whitney Houston's "I Believe in You and Me" was completely redundant after the great versions by The Four Tops and David Peaston.

Joe Cocker's cover of Gladys Knight & The Pips' "I've got to use my Imagination".

Pretty much every boygroup cover of a classic song: Westlife's Uptown Girl, Boyzone's Father and Son, and whatever band it was that did William Bell's Private Number and Shalamar's "Night to Remember."

[Shady Jack]

Sheryl Crow's anemic cover of "Sweet Child O'Mine"

That's the first one that came to mind. I like Sheryl Crow but the day I heard that I was like "WTF is this? Has the world gone mad?"

Also, Madonna- American Pie. Ugh.

EDIT: I see you mentioned that one as well. Hrm.

[hellokittykat]

Britany Spears doing the Rolling Stones.
Britany Spears doing 'My Perogotive'.
I know there are others but those two were painful enough to pull from my brain.:evilangry

[Cayman]

A few more.

Rod Stewart has done some fine covers in his lengthy career, but everything I've heard off his 3 (!) albums of standards has been wretched.

A boyband called A1 topped the UK charts a few years back with a cover of a-ha's "Take On Me" but all the studio trickery coudn't disguise the fact that the singer could not hit the high notes in the chorus.

Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," a cover version itself, has been done by many different artists, including Kate Havnevik, Alison Moyet, and George Michael. Celine Dion, however, completely demolished it with her vapid cover.

[Shade]

I get crap for this from my friends that think its amazing but I HATE Pearl Jam's cover of "Love Reign O'er Me".

Hopefully we can get another thread of GOOD cover songs to share.

[wishlish]

The worst cover I've heard is actually an artist covering himself: Clapton's unplugged "Layla". Stripped of its agony and majesty, it's a dull reworking. Yuck.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

The cover song East 17 did of the Pet Shop Boys. I forget which song it was, but I believe it was "West End Girls"......I just remember the cover song being an absolutely horrid remake of PSB's original version.

[Cam63]

Anything covered by boy/girl " bands " or rappers.

Sing into a garbage can, kids.

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

A Perfect Circle's cover of Lennon's "Imagine."


What's the weather like up your own ass, Maynard?

[Cam63]

A Perfect Circle's cover of Lennon's "Imagine."


What's the weather like up your own ass, Maynard?

Windy ?
------

[PatrickG]

A Perfect Circle's cover of Lennon's "Imagine."


What's the weather like up your own ass, Maynard?

Thank god.

Let me add to that and lump in any cover that tries to be a depressing/depressed cover of "Imagine".

It's not really all that depressed or angry of a song. Heck, the counter melody (which people have to omit in most of the down tempo covers) is down right bouncy. There is a wistful indictment of the world as it IS but that's never stated and if you make it angry, you come across like an angry 13 year-old who just discovered ironic/satirical thought and mistook it for obnoxious sarcasm.

On the flipside, I've never heard of a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah that I didn't enjoy and I think each deserves to exist because of the differences.

[Karl H]

A few more.

Rod Stewart has done some fine covers in his lengthy career, but everything I've heard off his 3 (!) albums of standards has been wretched.

A boyband called A1 topped the UK charts a few years back with a cover of a-ha's "Take On Me" but all the studio trickery coudn't disguise the fact that the singer could not hit the high notes in the chorus.

Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," a cover version itself, has been done by many different artists, including Kate Havnevik, Alison Moyet, and George Michael. Celine Dion, however, completely demolished it with her vapid cover.

Excellent call on the last two.

However, Johnny Cash's cover of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" literally makes me cry everytime I here it. Actually, so does his cover of "Hurt" by NIN and "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot.

Razorlight murdered (in my opinion) the Kings of Leon's Milk a couple of years back.

[Lester C.]

Johnny Cash's cover to Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. The song itself was very good, but people kept making fun of him on the radio and everyplace else and he didn't deserve that. I would like to have spared him that pain if I could.

[Alan Lynch]

Will Young's Hey Ya, done for a UK radio show. He's an alright singer but this whole thing is just too weird.

[Reverend Smooth]

The cover song Take That did of the Pet Shop Boys. I forget which song it was, but I believe it was "West End Girls"......I just remember the cover song being an absolutely horrid remake of PSB's original version.

There's no improving what's already perfect. :3

[Reverend Smooth]

On the flipside, I've never heard of a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah that I didn't enjoy and I think each deserves to exist because of the differences.
He's got a gorgeous voice, but his stuff ends itself well to covers. There's a few of his I'd like to do, I hope I won't botch them. :3

[Loren]

The worst cover I know is one that I imagine no one else has even heard.

On the Sleeping Beauty Special Edition DVD is a music video by some Euro teen-pop girl group, covering "Once Upon a Dream." Here's the song:

Once Upon (Another) Dream (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fsia0ey3Fho&mode=related&search=)

Now in case that doesn't sound entirely familiar, here's the original (which was in turn adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet Sleeping Beauty):

Original version (http://youtube.com/watch?v=C-6fYCMqSN4&mode=related&search=)

It took me a bit to discern why the two sound so incredibly different, but the main reason is that they've gone so far as to change the meter of the song. The original, a waltz, is in 3. The cover, a dance mix, is in 4. So it doesn't even have the same rhythm as the original.

[Michael P]

Johnny Cash's cover to Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. The song itself was very good, but people kept making fun of him on the radio and everyplace else and he didn't deserve that. I would like to have spared him that pain if I could.

What stations were you listening to? All the ones I heard at the time were "Holy shit, this is awesome."

[the4thpip]

A boyband called A1 topped the UK charts a few years back with a cover of a-ha's "Take On Me" but all the studio trickery coudn't disguise the fact that the singer could not hit the high notes in the chorus.



I think that was the group I could not remember. Seems they only did covers.

[Jared_Humpherys]

I found a version of "This is Halloween" on youtube done by Marilyn Manson.

My brain melted.

[Infra-Man]

Scariest cover...

Anastacia and Celine Dion covering AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long."

And count me as someone who actually likes Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" better than the Nine Inch Nails version. Who made fun of him for it? A bunch of silly goth-and-emo kids/Trent Reznor sycophants? There's a lot more emotional resonance to be had in Johnny Cash's cover, imo.

[Alan Lynch]

I'm sure Trent Reznor said of Hurt after hearing Johnny Cash's version "It's his now". And he's right.

The worst cover I know is one that I imagine no one else has even heard.

On the Sleeping Beauty Special Edition DVD is a music video by some Euro teen-pop girl group, covering "Once Upon a Dream." Here's the song:

Once Upon (Another) Dream (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fsia0ey3Fho&mode=related&search=)
That reminds me of a cover on The Lion King DVD, where a bunch of Disney Channel losers cover...something from the film. I think it's Circle of Life, but there really isn't a song in that whole movie that won't be made worse by Raven singing it.

[Spackling Compound]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JOAzuqngOYo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7QRXMzdsqwQ

Sabbath is best covered by Sabbath....

[Shade]

Johnny Cash's cover to Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. The song itself was very good, but people kept making fun of him on the radio and everyplace else and he didn't deserve that. I would like to have spared him that pain if I could.

That cover rules.....anyone making fun of it (or Cash in general) can eat it!

[Lester C.]

What stations were you listening to? All the ones I heard at the time were "Holy shit, this is awesome."

At the time Q101 and 94.7 The Zone.

[JTPencils]

Pretty much anytime someone tries to cover a Beatles song... it usually ends up suffering badly.

The only one I can think of that I actually liked... was Willie Nelson's cover of "One after 909".

Even Aerosmiths cover of "Come Together"... seemed bloated and overworked.

Some can cover the Who, some can cover the Stones... but the Beatles... those are tough lads to follow!

[Night Swordsman]

10,000 maniacs version of Roxy Music's more than this,mainly because radio stations around here will PLAY that version OVER the original. :evilangry

[Cayman]

Johnny Cash's cover to Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. The song itself was very good, but people kept making fun of him on the radio and everyplace else and he didn't deserve that. I would like to have spared him that pain if I could.

Have you watched the video of the Sad Kermit version?

[Cayman]

Pretty much anytime someone tries to cover a Beatles song... it usually ends up suffering badly.

The only one I can think of that I actually liked... was Willie Nelson's cover of "One after 909".

Even Aerosmiths cover of "Come Together"... seemed bloated and overworked.

Some can cover the Who, some can cover the Stones... but the Beatles... those are tough lads to follow!

One Beatles cover I do like is "Dear Prudence" by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

One Beatles cover I do like is "Dear Prudence" by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

Yes, that's a good one. But I think my favorite Beatles cover is Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet's "And Your Bird Can Sing."

[Night Swordsman]

One cover i do like,and have had defended before,is Hole's version of Gold Dust Woman. I am a HUGE Fleetwood Mac fan,and i can honestly say almost EVERY cover of one of their songs has left me cold at best,hating at worst.

But this one,Hole took the song,increased the tempo and beat,and made it very angry and darker than it already was,and it worked. It is even better than the crap movie it got hooked with(The Crow 2).

[Matt Doc Martin]

One Beatles cover I do like is "Dear Prudence" by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

That IS very good.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

He's got a gorgeous voice, but his stuff ends itself well to covers. There's a few of his I'd like to do, I hope I won't botch them. :3

John Cale's version of Hallelujah is the first I ever heard, and is still my favorite (as far as covers go). Frank Black's covers of Don't Go Home With Your Hardon and I Can't Forget are pretty damned amazing, too. I recently learned If It Be Your Will and Who By Fire, and have done interesting variations on Waiting For A Miracle and Tower Of Song (which lends itself well to a 'Rolling Stones'-style arrangement) for a while. I have no use for doing covers publicly, ever again, though, when I do eventually play in front of people again.


Most hated cover, ever: Tom Waits' Downtown Train as rendered by Rod Stewart.

[Night Swordsman]

John Cale's version of Hallelujah is the first I ever heard, and is still my favorite (as far as covers go). Frank Black's covers of Don't Go Home With Your Hardon and I Can't Forget are pretty damned amazing, too. I recently learned If It Be Your Will and Who By Fire, and have done interesting variations on Waiting For A Miracle and Tower Of Song (which lends itself well to a 'Rolling Stones'-style arrangement) for a while. I have no use for doing covers publicly, ever again, though, when I do eventually play in front of people again.


Most hated cover, ever: Tom Waits' Downtown Train as rendered by Rod Stewart.

While it is not my MOST hated cover,i can NOT stand that song as sung by Rod. ICK.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Sixpence None the Richer covering "Don't Dream It's Over"

[Bradley]

I would say most people shouldn't try to cover Bob Dylan. I know that his voice isn't... well... pretty. But he just sounds sincere, like his lyrics express his convictions. Somehow, when Billy Joel or Garth Brooks or someone like them tries to take a Dylan song and make it "pretty," it winds up sucking.

Having said all that, Lou Reed's version of Dylan's "Foot of Pride" is downright awesome.

[Sally Sensational]

Metallica's cover of "Turn the Page". A pointless exercise in attempting to totally redo - without any personalization - someone else's song.

[Flamebird]

One cover that I do like, but can never remember who does the damn thing; is a remake of Michael Jacksons "Smooth Criminal".

It was almost like speed metal disco, the way they did it.

[Matt Doc Martin]

One cover that I do like, but can never remember who does the damn thing; is a remake of Michael Jacksons "Smooth Criminal".

It was almost like speed metal disco, the way they did it.

Alien Ant Farm?

[Flamebird]

Alien Ant Farm?

hmm, could be.

I just remember hearing it the first time and going WTF???

By the third time, I like it better than the original.


Another fave cover, Laura Brannigan doing "Gloria"; beat the HELL out of the Umberto Tozzi (sp?) version.

[Infra-Man]

Yes, that's a good one. But I think my favorite Beatles cover is Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet's "And Your Bird Can Sing."

Matthew Sweet also did a pretty good live cover of "She Said, She Said" on one of his EPs. Not great, but not bad either.

He's gotta put out another solo album. Living Things was okay, but wow, the once-Japan-only album Kimi Ga Suki was his best work since 100% Fun.

Sorry... Have been a big Matthew Sweet dork since middle school.

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

Covers I've liked

"The Beautiful People" Marilyn Manson
"Smooth Criminal" Alien Ant Farm :D
"What's Going On" A Perfect Circle
"Hurt" Johnny Cash.

Cover's that didn't work

Britney Spears cover songs...still hurt my head. The only thing I like about them is Ed The Sock making fun of them on the new years specials on MTV. See them and laugh. He deconstructs the stuff so much you know.

"The Times They Are A Changin" Phil Collins. It wasn't bad, but outside the bagpipes it doesn't stand out as much as it could.

"Land Of Confusion" Disturbed. It was good. Phil's was better.

"American Pie" Madonna. Uh...

JP

[The Xenos]

I like how semi-Christian rock band Sixpence None The Richer covered The La's "There she goes again" only to later discover the song was actually about heroine abuse. And then the song later gets sold and used in an ad for birth control pills. Amazing.

Also, while adorable that two underage Russian pseudo-lesbians are singing it, TATU's cover of 'How Soon is Now (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Soon_Is_Now)' was pretty crappy.

Though it's listenable. It's not as bad as the terrible cover or covers used in the soundtrack of The Craft and the opening for Charmed. I caught some of the film and heard it and it was terrible.

Oh and I hated the 311 cover of The Cure's Lovesong used in that Adam Sandler movie.

Why can't these people leave blissfully depressing 80s songs alone.

[Cayman]

Just Like Heaven as covered by Katie Melua is pretty dire.

[Night Swordsman]

I like how semi-Christian rock band Sixpence None The Richer covered The La's "There she goes again" only to later discover the song was actually about heroine abuse. And then the song later gets sold and used in an ad for birth control pills. Amazing.

Also, while adorable that two underage Russian pseudo-lesbians are singing it, TATU's cover of 'How Soon is Now (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Soon_Is_Now)' was pretty crappy.

Though it's listenable. It's not as bad as the terrible cover or covers used in the soundtrack of The Craft and the opening for Charmed. I caught some of the film and heard it and it was terrible.

Oh and I hated the 311 cover of The Cure's Lovesong used in that Adam Sandler movie.

Why can't these people leave blissfully depressing 80s songs alone.

As much as i liked the Smiths version,the Love Spit Love version isn't awful either. I even enjoy TaTu's version,as it much better than most of their other songs.

Now that cover of Lovesong...ick. Total agreement.

[Inkpot1965]

For God's sake, don't let anyone else do a cover of an Eagle's song. NOBODY can do the Eagles except the Eagles.

[PatrickG]

I prefer Gary Jules' Mad World to the Tears for Fears original.

[stealthwise]

Metallica's cover of "Turn the Page". A pointless exercise in attempting to totally redo - without any personalization - someone else's song.

Really? I quite like it. You should listen to what they did to Sabbath's "Sabbra Cadabra."

[stealthwise]

I prefer Gary Jules' Mad World to the Tears for Fears original.

Me too.

I also love Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal." Fun stuff, but I think that that was their peak.

I find it funny that some people believe some songs to be sacrosanct, and that no one should touch them, but it's fun to hear covers once in a while, and see what happens. Yeah, there are some horrible things that get out there, and they're annoying as hell to hear, but in the end they'll fade away and we get some incredible stuff, like Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt," which is so laden with raw emotion and pain that I can't help but tear up every time I see that damn video, as it seemed to document his degradation as a healthy human being and foreshadow his very death.

[Suzanne]

Fergie's doing Heart?!? What's this sick world coming to? Whatever the case, there should be a moratorium on cover tunes (unless it's an obscure song or original sucked to begin with). Here are a few reasons why:

-Metallica's "Whiskey in a Jar"
-Maroon 5's castrated version of "Highway to Hell"
-Jessica Simpson's awful "Take My Breath Away"
-Hootie & the Blowfish's limp "I Got A Woman"

[Cam63]

For God's sake, don't let anyone else do a cover of an Eagle's song. NOBODY can do the Eagles except the Eagles.

What about The Falcons ?

[Flamebird]

What about The Falcons ?

I thought they only covered "Air Supply" songs. :p

[Alan Lynch]

I also love Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal." Fun stuff, but I think that that was their peak.
There's an understatement. I think they put all their creative efforts into new "Ant" puns for album titles. By my count they got 2.

[the4thpip]

Pretty much anytime someone tries to cover a Beatles song... it usually ends up suffering badly.

The only one I can think of that I actually liked... was Willie Nelson's cover of "One after 909".

Even Aerosmiths cover of "Come Together"... seemed bloated and overworked.

Some can cover the Who, some can cover the Stones... but the Beatles... those are tough lads to follow!

Ike and Tina Turner did a kick-ass cover of Come Together. Gladys Knight's Motown version of Yesterday is gorgeous, feedback and all. Got to Get You Into My Life got a wonderful treatment by Ella Fitzgerald. Ray Charles sang the hell out of Eleanor Rigby. Chaka Khan made "We Can Work It Out" funky. Aretha Franklin Arethafied "The Long and Winding Road" as only she can.

There are tons of Beatles covers out there I like.

[the4thpip]

I would say most people shouldn't try to cover Bob Dylan. I know that his voice isn't... well... pretty. But he just sounds sincere, like his lyrics express his convictions. Somehow, when Billy Joel or Garth Brooks or someone like them tries to take a Dylan song and make it "pretty," it winds up sucking.

Having said all that, Lou Reed's version of Dylan's "Foot of Pride" is downright awesome.

Look for Roberta Flack's "Just Like a Woman" and Eddie and Ernie's "Lay Lady Lay."

[Spike-X]

I have a live Etta James bootleg where she does a very decent version of Take It To The Limit. And I hate the Eagles.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

Ike and Tina Turner did a kick-ass cover of Come Together. Gladys Knight's Motown version of Yesterday is gorgeous, feedback and all. Got to Get You Into My Life got a wonderful treatment by Ella Fitzgerald. Ray Charles sang the hell out of Eleanor Rigby. Chaka Khan made "We Can Work It Out" funky. Aretha Franklin Arethafied "The Long and Winding Road" as only she can.

There are tons of Beatles covers out there I like.

Bryan Ferry did a terrific version of She's Leaving Home. Brian Eno, John Cale and the rest of Roxy Music (minus Ferry), under the band name 801, did my favorite version of Tomorrow Never Knows--it's even equal to The Beatles version. Saying a lot, because Revolver is the only full album I can still listen to without squirming, and I love it as much as when I was a kid.

Come to think of it, least favorite Beatles covers include 90% of the soundtrack to the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, not to mention what a terrible, meandering and stupidly written film it was. I went from sorta liking Peter Frampton, to completely despising everything about him--but I went from liking only one song by the Bee-Gees, and afterwards, wanting to assassinate them. The only highlight was on Got to Get You Into My Life, but while Earth, Wind and Fire did the only unique arrangement in the whole film, I never liked the song in the first place--even when I was 13-14 and worshiped the Beatles. My friends and I went to the theater together, and we all came out of there completely demoralized, and silent, just sort of looking at each other with a variety of grimaces. I think if we could have voiced it then, we'd have said 'What a bunch of sellouts.'.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

Matthew Sweet also did a pretty good live cover of "She Said, She Said" on one of his EPs. Not great, but not bad either.

He's gotta put out another solo album. Living Things was okay, but wow, the once-Japan-only album Kimi Ga Suki was his best work since 100% Fun.

Sorry... Have been a big Matthew Sweet dork since middle school.

I've always liked Matthew Sweet but have never been a HUGE fan ... but I do really really love the covers album he and Susanna Hoffs did. (But I have to admit I bought it more for her than for him.) I think my favorite track on that album is the cover of the Left Banke's "She May Call You Up Tonight," but then that's always been one of my favorite lost '60s chestnuts anyway. Their take on "Different Drum" is pretty awesome, too.

[the4thpip]

I have a live Etta James bootleg where she does a very decent version of Take It To The Limit. And I hate the Eagles.

The studio version was on her "Deep in the Night" album that comes highly recommended.

[Cayman]

A guy called Genuwine (I think it might be spelled a little differently) did a horrible cover of Prince's classic "When Doves Cry". I hated Foo Fighters "Darling Nikki" cover at first, but have grown to like it a bit.

One of my favorite covers of a Prince song is "When U Were Mine" by Cyndi Lauper.

Oh, and anything Michael Bolton covers comes out tainted.

On a tangent, there's also bad samples or whatever the term is when the song doesn't actually sample a song but incorporates sections of it, i.e. Rihanna's "S.O.S" using the hook from Tainted Love.

For this, I would add Samantha Mumba's heretical use of Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" in her song "Body To Body"

[Cayman]

Bryan Ferry did a terrific version of She's Leaving Home. Brian Eno, John Cale and the rest of Roxy Music (minus Ferry), under the band name 801, did my favorite version of Tomorrow Never Knows--it's even equal to The Beatles version. Saying a lot, because Revolver is the only full album I can still listen to without squirming, and I love it as much as when I was a kid.

Come to think of it, least favorite Beatles covers include 90% of the soundtrack to the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, not to mention what a terrible, meandering and stupidly written film it was. I went from sorta liking Peter Frampton, to completely despising everything about him--but I went from liking only one song by the Bee-Gees, and afterwards, wanting to assassinate them. The only highlight was on Got to Get You Into My Life, but while Earth, Wind and Fire did the only unique arrangement in the whole film, I never liked the song in the first place--even when I was 13-14 and worshiped the Beatles. My friends and I went to the theater together, and we all came out of there completely demoralized, and silent, just sort of looking at each other with a variety of grimaces. I think if we could have voiced it then, we'd have said 'What a bunch of sellouts.'.

It's so embarrassing but I saw Sgt Pepper's when I was a little kid and loved it at the time. :o I know better now.

That reminds me, I do like Rufus Wainwright's cover of "Across The Universe" from the "I Am Sam" soundtrack. I am less fond of Fiona Apple's version of the same track from the "Pleasantville" soundtrack, but the video was excellent.

[Cayman]

One more Beatles cover that I think is pretty good. Aretha Franklin's rollicking cover of Eleanor Rigby. Loneliness has seldom sounded so soulful.

I also like John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" as covered by both Roxy Music and Donny Hathaway.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

One of my favorite covers of a Prince song is "When U Were Mine" by Cyndi Lauper.

I absolutely love that track. I adore that whole album and don't care who knows it!

[bfrank]

Robert Palmer and Mariah Carey's versions of "I didn't mean to turn you on"......Cherelle did it much better, and the video featured King Kong.....KING KONG......

Vanessa Williams - I got Work To Do.......

Gladys Knight - Superwoman.....

Luther Vandross and Beyonce - the closer I get to you.......

Coko and Tyrese - if this world were mine.........

anyone who tries to sing: "Always and Forever", "At Last", "Time After Time" or "Love Ballad"........

[Nate Grey]

Purple Rain.

[Pinball]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JOAzuqngOYo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7QRXMzdsqwQ

Sabbath is best covered by Sabbath....
unless it's Galactic :cool:

in the span of a week i encountered an absolutely useless Rod Stewart cover ("Missing you") and a breathtaking Jem cover ("Maybe I'm Amazed")

[Inkpot1965]

Ike and Tina Turner did a kick-ass cover of Come Together. Gladys Knight's Motown version of Yesterday is gorgeous, feedback and all. Got to Get You Into My Life got a wonderful treatment by Ella Fitzgerald. Ray Charles sang the hell out of Eleanor Rigby. Chaka Khan made "We Can Work It Out" funky. Aretha Franklin Arethafied "The Long and Winding Road" as only she can.

There are tons of Beatles covers out there I like.

Man, Gladys Knight could sing the menu from the local Chinese restaurant, and it would be sexy AS HELL!

[Pinball]

I almost forgot:

KidzBop

[stealthwise]

[COLOR="Navy"]Fergie's doing Heart?!? What's this sick world coming to? Whatever the case, there should be a moratorium on cover tunes (unless it's an obscure song or original sucked to begin with). Here are a few reasons why:

-Metallica's "Whiskey in a Jar"


Why?

I mean, I get that someone would have an issue with Turn the Page, they were obviously a fan of Seger's stuff, but Whiskey was a fun ditty.

[Night Swordsman]

Why?

I mean, I get that someone would have an issue with Turn the Page, they were obviously a fan of Seger's stuff, but Whiskey was a fun ditty.

Damn...are you like my GOOD twin or something? I had that EXACT same thought when i saw Suzanne's complaint against Whiskey in the Jar. I even THOUGHT of the horrible version of Turn the Page too. I LIKED Whiskey in the Jar(matter of fact,that song is better in some PARTS than the original...) and enjoy listening to it once in a rare while.

Keep this up,and i am going to ask for our brains to be seperated. :p

[bfrank]

shit, I can't believe that I forgot:

Tom Jones - Kiss

[saintsaucey]

Limp Bizkit's "Behind Blue Eyes." It just drained every molecule of life from the original.


i liked it sorry

[Spike-X]

i liked it sorry
...you have heard the original?

[Calamas]

The Worst (Sort of):

Pat Boone did a cover album of Metal classic that’s so bad that it’s hilarious. It’s worth owning just for the laughs.


The Good:

Bob Seger did a very bluesy version of Tom Wait’s “New Coat of Paint” on his Fire Inside album.


The Good by Default:

Any cover of Bob Dylan or Kris Kristofferson, tied for the title of Worst Singer of All Time.

[Grazzt]

Imagine covered by George W. Bush (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1847778207986315796)

Imagine vs. Take a Walk on the Wild Side, also covered by Bush. (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-648614542990180273)

[mgs]

ANYTHING Hasselhoff covers is awful!!

[Tobias March]

Anyone else covering Take On Me by Aha. I remember there was this boyband in the 90's. feh. Plus the video was a take on Tron too.

Two childhood favourites of mine trashed at once!

[Matt Doc Martin]

Anyone else covering Take On Me by Aha. I remember there was this boyband in the 90's. feh. Plus the video was a take on Tron too.

Two childhood favourites of mine trashed at once!

One exception:

Reel Big Fish

[Tobias March]

One exception:

Reel Big Fish

Never heard it. I'll hold you to that sir :)

[a. non]

Jack Ingram's country version of Hinder's "Lips of an Angle". This used to play where i work, and i'd cringe every time i heard it.

Elvis' version of Little Richards' "Tutti Frutti" probably inspired Ingram.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Never heard it. I'll hold you to that sir :)

I will email it to you, if you'd like.

[jerrymcl89]

The Good by Default:

Any cover of Bob Dylan or Kris Kristofferson, tied for the title of Worst Singer of All Time.

Although, by any objective standard, Bob Dylan has a terrible singing voice, I find that it's very rare for a cover of his work to improve on the original (Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" being the prime exception). Other singers just never phrase the lyrics as well as Dylan even if they almost all have better voices.

[Tad Sivana]

Worst and probably most unbelievable cover of all time, (outdoing even Shatner and Nimoy's)
Colin Powell (while he was still part of the Bush Admin) at a G8 summit doing
'Macho-macho Man' by the Village People IN COSTUME!
There is a video of this out there somewhere also.
Mind-boggling.
Best recent cover I can think of:
In Living Color's cover of 'Back In Black' by Metallica.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Another great Fish cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxNw1bgH4dQ

[Spike-X]

Jack Ingram's country version of Hinder's "Lips of an Angle". This used to play where i work, and i'd cringe every time i heard it.


Is it possible to do a bad cover version of a song that's already a steaming piece of shit?

[Spike-X]

In Living Color's cover of 'Back In Black' by Metallica.

Back In Black is an AC/DC song.

[Alan Lynch]

I saw Korn doing an acoustic cover of Radiohead's Creep. Dear God, it's the worst thing I've ever heard.

[Inkpot1965]

Back In Black is an AC/DC song.

Have we reached a point where AC\DC is so easy to forget? Oh, the agony. I need to hear Whole lotta Rosie......

[JamesRitcheyIII]

Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart, as performed by Paul Young (NOT the talented one from Sad Cafe). He took a timeless, dark, tone poem and turned it into a cheesed-up piece of oversynthesized 'eighties pop dogshit.

Any attempt to 'update' and homogenize songs to be current, 'trendy', or more palpable, tends to suck all the life out of them.

Frinstance, I heard the Muzak version of Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel two weeks ago in the grocery store, and it made me want to throw up. It was all jazzed up and of course, the only interesting part, the depressing lyrics, were gone. Sad--it's one of only three good songs on a pop sellout nightmare of an album, after I'd been the biggest Peter Gabriel fan on the continent for four albums, besides his early work with Genesis.

[Spike-X]

...tone poem...

My God, has there ever been a more pretentious phrase uttered in the history of the English (or any other) language?

[/B]Any attempt to 'update' and homogenize songs to be current, 'trendy', or more palpable, tends to suck all the life out of them.

Frinstance, I heard the Muzak version of Don't Give Up by Peter Gabriel two weeks ago in the grocery store, and it made me want to throw up. It was all jazzed up and of course, the only interesting part, the depressing lyrics, were gone.

You think that's bad? Over here, it's been covered by a teen soap bimbo and a former Australian Idol loser.

[Cayman]

There was a Don't Give Up cover for charity I download once. I think it may have been Bono and Alicia Keys? Or Michael Stipe and Alicia Keys? I don't remember it as awful, but then it wasn't a very memorable cover.

I loved the video for the original single with Peter and Kate spinning, spinning, forever spinning...

[JamesRitcheyIII]

My God, has there ever been a more pretentious phrase uttered in the history of the English (or any other) language?

Naw--it's a culture-clash thing. It was originally meant to mean a piece of classical music derived from an outside source, usually a novel, but took on a connotation of 'literary' lyrics--and Ian Curtis was one literary motherfucker.

Aww, who the fuck am I kidding? I'm a reformed Art Rocker, and as such, quasi-faux pretense is my thing. Get used to it. Besides--the opposite kind of singer from what I was do shitty, shallow versions of songs written by people like me.:D

You think that's bad? Over here, it's been covered by a teen soap bimbo and a former Australian Idol loser. Thanks for the warning. I can't imagine the horror of such hackery.

BTW--I know the islands a many inches apart, but have you heard of a New Zealand Jazz Rock band called Avant Garage? I haven't heard any of their music, but that was the name of my band (with a hyphen) for six years in the eighties, and we had a solid, but small local Atlanta cult following. I was just wondering if they were any good. Our Avant-Garage wasn't my ideal--I wanted to do an Iggy and the Stooges/Early King Crimson/Old Bowie/Velvet Underground/Roxy Music-type o' thing, while my guitarist Bruce Barg was a product of Berklee College of Music (i.e.--prone to sappy wank-off Fusion--along the lines of Al DiMeola and Pat Metheny), but looking back, the stuff didn't suck.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

There was a Don't Give Up cover for charity I download once. I think it may have been Bono and Alicia Keys? Or Michael Stipe and Alicia Keys? I don't remember it as awful, but then it wasn't a very memorable cover.

I loved the video for the original single with Peter and Kate spinning, spinning, forever spinning...

That woman has been my physical and mental ideal since I was 17 years old. I just about spontaneously orgasmed when I saw her on Saturday Night Live for the first time, in '78 (I know--more than anyone wants to know). One thing that irritates me, though--the 'prodigy' thing. It took me until I was 26 years old to sing, play and write songs somewhere in her range of capacity at 16-20. Thanks, American School System, for our shitty music programs.

[Spike-X]

BTW--I know the islands a many inches apart, but have you heard of a New Zealand Jazz Rock band called Avant Garage?

No, I haven't.

Also, fusion must die.

[saintsaucey]

...you have heard the original?

I've heard giles's cover of the original in the buffy episode where the wild things are

[Suzanne]

Why?

I mean, I get that someone would have an issue with Turn the Page, they were obviously a fan of Seger's stuff, but Whiskey was a fun ditty.

Damn...are you like my GOOD twin or something? I had that EXACT same thought when i saw Suzanne's complaint against Whiskey in the Jar. I even THOUGHT of the horrible version of Turn the Page too. I LIKED Whiskey in the Jar(matter of fact,that song is better in some PARTS than the original...) and enjoy listening to it once in a rare while.

Keep this up,and i am going to ask for our brains to be seperated. :p

HAHAHA!!!

I just think the original is so much better. It's got a soul I didn't hear in the Metallica version. I think it's one of those tracks were a cover wouldn't do it justice.

[Night Swordsman]

HAHAHA!!!

I just think the original is so much better. It's got a soul I didn't hear in the Metallica version. I think it's one of those tracks were a cover wouldn't do it justice.

Fair enough. And of course my synchronicity is working,as i heard BOTH of these songs (Turn the Page and Whiskey,both by Metallica) over the radio in like the first time in months this week.


Insert the woooWEEEEooooohhh sounds now.

[JamesRitcheyIII]

No, I haven't.

Also, fusion must die.Um...good for you.
I don't know if they're fusion, straight bebop or Steely Dan type of material, is why I was asking.

Is Robert Fripp/Early King Crimson fusion to you? I''m curious--do you write and/or perform music? As I hinted, I'm kind of a complete dick about loathing fusion myself, long before I had to put up with a megalomaniac who kept trying to smooth out and neuter the dynamics of my songs. I was after Gang of Four and Comsat Angels crossed with Glam, punk and Roy Orbison, while he was after being the next Phil Collins pop shit meets 'fill in the name of any obnoxious fusion jerk-off'. Led to a lot of conflict.

[MartinRedmond]

Some lame indie band covered We're Not Gonna Take it. It was sweet girls on guitars trying to be cute and it sucked.

Also Tori Amos covering Living on a Prayer in her sappy, melancholic style is just so dull and horrible once you've already bought 3 of her albums. Lighten up! Or better yet don't cover that song if it clashes with your style too much.

Not that I'm an advocate for bringing back the 80s. But if you're gonna sing arena rock classics, you better be putting all of your energy into it and scream your head off.

[MartinRedmond]

Add last year's cover of Ege of Seventeen to the list as well! The singer changed the antagonist's gender for no reason at all too even though it's not even a love song. It's a song about Stevie Nicks walking out on a sick relative.

[Royal]

No one can make a great cover of "Kick Out The Jams".

Henry Rollins came close. But not whole natcho.

[Nick Soapdish]

...you have heard the original?

I think the original had enough life to survive being covered by Limp Biskit.

I think it's my favorite Limp Biskit song (not that it says a lot). I agree that the original is a lot better (although it sounds like they're singing about Batman to me).

[Spike-X]

I've not heard a great deal of Fripp/King Crimson.

I can play guitar, and I've been in a couple of bands for a little while in my early twenties.

Most of the fusion I've heard sounds like soulless wank to me.

[Aggie]

celine dion's cover of "if you ask me to"...because it was a crappy song to begin w/ even if patti labelle recorded it first

and madonna's cover of "fever" she made one of the sexiest songs in music, unsexy...

[Cayman]

Bosomy Samantha Fox decimates Dusty Springfield's "I Only Wanna Be You"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd-Ez00WJ9U

[Karl H]

Sugababes and Girls Aloud 'singing' Aerosmith vs Run DMC's walk this way.

[Spike-X]

Sugababes and Girls Aloud 'singing' Aerosmith vs Run DMC's walk this way.
Oh.

My.

God.

[the4thpip]

Man, Gladys Knight could sing the menu from the local Chinese restaurant, and it would be sexy AS HELL!

I knew I liked you! :o


Although, I think Motown tried to test your theory when they made her sing the Archies' "Sugar Sugar" to... Interesting results. :rolleyes:

[the4thpip]

shit, I can't believe that I forgot:

Tom Jones - Kiss

Fun version with wonderful electronic arrangement by The Art of Noise, that did exactly what a good cover should do: Bring something new and different to a song.

[Karl H]

Oh.

My.

God.

it was horrific - supposedly for charity but horrific nonetheless.

[Spike-X]

*YouTubes*

Gah. I somehow made it through the first minute or so.

[Karl H]

*YouTubes*

Gah. I somehow made it through the first minute or so.

go any youtube Arcade Fire doing "the Guns of Brixton" to remind yourself how good a cover can be NOW!!!!! :D

[Spike-X]

go any youtube Arcade Fire doing "the Guns of Brixton" to remind yourself how good a cover can be NOW!!!!! :D
No.

Tired.

Sick.

Bed.

[Matt Doc Martin]

Fun version with wonderful electronic arrangement by The Art of Noise, that did exactly what a good cover should do: Bring something new and different to a song.

Absolutely correct, sir!

[Cayman]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood's cover of "Born To Run".

[bfrank]

Fun version with wonderful electronic arrangement by The Art of Noise, that did exactly what a good cover should do: Bring something new and different to a song.

no, it was trash, pure and simple.....

but no one, save for chaka, has ever done a decent prince song.......yeah, i'm calling out alicia and the bald headed chick too.....

Trash.......

[the4thpip]

but no one, save for chaka, has ever done a decent prince song.......yeah, i'm calling out alicia and the bald headed chick too.....

Trash.......

As was pointed out before, Cindy Lauper was brilliant on "When you were mine." And while it SHOULD have been a total disaster, Randy Crawford's stripped down, bare bones cover of Purple Rain was a pleasant surprise. And German/South African music goddess Joy Denalane does a really good unplugged version of Sign o' the times. Oh, and Mica Paris's version of "If I love you 2nite" but I guess that does not count as Prince kind of wrote that for her.

[JTPencils]

Man, Gladys Knight could sing the menu from the local Chinese restaurant, and it would be sexy AS HELL!

Is it possible to be sexy, yet hungry at the same time??

[JTPencils]

Eva Cassidy did a wonderful cover of "Time after Time"... the first time I heard it was at the end of an ep of Smallville. As much as I've always liked the Lauper version, I found Cassidy's to be even sadder and moodier. The solo guitar work just fit the song more (IMO). It ended up on my Ipod playlist, where the Lauper version didn't.

[Christopher Cross Is God]

Oh and I hated the 311 cover of The Cure's Lovesong used in that Adam Sandler movie.


Ugh, I hate it when the 311 version comes on the radio. The first 2 or 3 seconds I think, "Yes!"......But then I realize it's the shitty remake.

[Corrina]

Sinead O'Conner did very well with a Prince song, "Nothing Compares to You."

And on the subject of an artist messing with their own songs....

I really dislike Springsteen's acoustic "Born to Run." Nice try, Boss, to tone down the song but it didn't work.

Also, Clapton's acoustic "Layla" must die.

[Night Swordsman]

Sinead O'Conner did very well with a Prince song, "Nothing Compares to You."

And on the subject of an artist messing with their own songs....

I really dislike Springsteen's acoustic "Born to Run." Nice try, Boss, to tone down the song but it didn't work.

Also, Clapton's acoustic "Layla" must die.

I really liked Sinead on the album The Lion and the Cobra. Really good music there. And i SO agree with you about Clapton's Layla. DIE evil song. Hell,the only reason i listen to the original version now is for one of the hands down BEST insturmentals in Rock History with the end of that song. I can listen to that part any day.

[Dr Ray Palmer]

The Derailers did a fantastically stupendous cover of "Raspberry Beret" on their Reverb Deluxe album.

But my all-time favorite Prince-penned song is still "Manic Monday."